Many cat owners are worried when their favorite pet begins to consume more water than usual, and while this situation may be normal in some cases, it could be abnormal in other situations and just be a symptom that your furbuddy is hiding some health issues from you – and no pet does this better than a cat. Knowing what makes a cat so thirsty is important if you want your furball to live long.
As soon as you notice excessive water consumption by your cat, you need to visit your vet to check out your pet and determine if this is normal or the manifestation of a mild or serious medical condition. If this is done in time, you may be able to save your pet’s life and enjoy its company for many more years.
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How to know your cat is drinking too much water
It’s worth noting that most cat owners rarely see their favorite furry companions drinking water, so it can become a challenge to know if your cat is actually drinking too much water. There are 2 to 3 main ways to actually know how much water your cat is lapping up – in or out of your presence.
Firstly, you need to monitor regularly (before the days of trouble or challenges) how much water your cat consumes averagely on a daily basis, if you notice that you are refilling your cat’s water bowls more than the daily average, then this is your most effective measure.
Again, and especially if your cat is allowed outdoors unsupervised but contained within your premises, you may need to install surveillance systems to monitor your cat’s water intake (adequate or excessive) as it may prefer to drink from your pool, hot tubs, standing water, puddles or any container water gathers in.
The third method may be to judge from the measure of your cat’s urination, if this is more constant than usual, then it’s a pointer to the fact that your pet may be drinking water more than usual.
Can age make cats drink more water?
As cats get older, some of their physiological functions may start to fail or malfunction, and some of these conditions and anomalies can actually lead to them drinking much more water than they would on an average day. Older cats – usually above 5 years, may have certain organs such as their liver, pancreas, and others failing or malfunctioning, and this may lead to them drinking more than usual.
Other factors that can make your cat drink a lot of water
There are a few other factors that can cause your cat to drink more water than usual and some of them are:
Diabetes Mellitus
Sometimes, a cat may develop hormonal problems that can lead to excessive consumption of water, such as when there’s a cell abnormality in its pancreas which may lead to insufficient production of Insulin and in turn lead to diabetes mellitus – almost similar to type 2 diabetes in humans. Factors such as obesity, genetics, frequent diseases, and lack of activity can cause this as well, especially in male cats that are older than 5.
Chronic Kidney Disease
As your cat gets older, its kidneys may begin to fail and cause urine to become more diluted, causing your cat to urinate more, and this will definitely lead to the consumption of more water in order to replenish lost fluids. It’s best to discover this condition quite early before it becomes fatal and common signs to look for include nausea, decreased appetite, diarrhea/vomiting, and/or weight loss. This can be better managed if discovered early and properly diagnosed by your vet.
Hyperthyroidism
This condition is usually common in middle-aged to older cats and it is caused when the cat’s thyroid glands produce excessive active thyroid hormones, and this is triggered by a condition known as Benign hyperplasia. This condition can lead to weight loss, increased metabolism, heart rate, and blood pressure; it can also cause diarrhea and vomiting, increased appetite, and restlessness.
How much water is a cat supposed to drink in a day?
This is the million-dollar question and one that needs a studious and diligent answer. Cats come in all shapes and sizes, as well as breeds, and there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how much water they should drink in a given day.
Most professionals and cat lovers have sort of adopted a popular theory and recommendation that states that an average (adult) cat should drink about 50 milliliters per 1 kilogram of its body weight per day; meaning that as an average (adult) cat weighs between 3.5 to 4.5 Kilograms, it is required to drink between 175 to 225 milliliters of clean, potable water per day, or in order words, your cat is required to drink about a quarter of a liter of clean water in a day.
Several other factors can affect your cat’s water consumption and what was stated earlier is only a popular recommendation. For instance, a cat in a hot environment or during summer will definitely drink more water than one in a cool house or in the winter period, etc.
Read Also: Medium-Haired Cats: 8 Breeds & All The Facts You Need To Know
How to stop your cat from being dehydrated
If you notice that your cat is dehydrated in any way whatsoever, the first thing to do is take it to your vet for proper diagnosis; the vet will run a series of tests to determine the cause and recommend the best line of action to control the causative factors.
- If your cat’s dehydration is not caused by underlying medical conditions then do the following as well:
- Switch to wet cat foods from dry foods.
- Add some flavor to your cat’s water, like chicken broth (without onions), clam, or tuna juice will help too.
- Use a cat water fountain, if your cat likes drinking from the faucets.
- Change its source of water, from tap water to either filtered or bottled water.
- Provide a few small water bowls around the house, as most cats prefer this to just 1 single bowl.
- If you have more than one cat, you need to provide many small water bowls around the house as your cats may not like the smell of another cat’s saliva in the water bowl.
- Put 1 or 2 ice cubes in your cat’s water bowl, especially on hot days or you can turn tuna, clam, or chicken broth into ice cubes and place them in your cat’s water.
- Clean the water bowl daily and refill it with clean water.